Wow PDGA....Really!!!!

The PDGA has been promoting an episode of the show "Happy Endings" that aired tonight. The episode was to at least feature people playing disc golf with PDGA branded items. For this to occur on Prime Time television is a big lift for our sport. Here is what the PDGA said on their website about the subject:

"While increasing interest and popularity of this sport is evident in the worldwide participation and growing membership of Disc golfers, portrayal of this sport in the media is imperative for prosperity and awareness on a global level. Television is a monumental step in securing our place in sports history. " PDGA- DG on Prime TIme

A monumental step in securing our place in sports history; what the hell where you thinking. You must have a better plan to promote disc golf than to pin it on the hopes that a second rate comedy show would do it justice and not make fun of it. Please tell me you have a better plan than letting them call my sport a "Hobby", which they did. Please tell me you have a better plan than letting them call my sport "Frolf", which they did. Please tell me you have a better plan then letting them show that throwing a disc looks something like ballet in the park, which they did. Please tell me you have a better plan than letting them show a lady get hit in the head, because you know how hard it is to not hit people in the head from 5 feet away when your driving, but they did.

You promoted on Facebook, Twitter, and your website to tune in and watch the show take disc golf awareness to a global level. I wonder how disc golf looks on that global level after tonights episode of Happy Endings? Are you just trying to make us feel bad? Is that your way to pompt us to get off our ass and get out and promote the sport ourselves? Is that your better plan? I don't think so, I don't think you have a clue what it takes to break into the mainstream media and maintain any sense of dignity while doing it. I think you where just hoping that they wouldn't make fun of disc golf and that this would be a lucky break. You rolled the dice, played the lotto, and petted your lucky cricket, hoping that this would be the day disc golf got its free publicity. Well, it did, and now you know why it was free.

Don't get butt hurt that I'm on here pissing and moaning on how you screwed the pooch either. I'm not done yet, I want you to post admission that you screwed the pooch on all the social media sites that you used to get the word out to watch the show. Then I want you to invite help from those of us down here on the front line playing DG and supporting our local clubs. There may be some of us that are able to help push the needle for the sport. If you don't know how to get those focus groups going at the local levels, you better figure it out quick. I'm done ranting I guess, I've got more to say, but f*ck it, i'm frustrated.

AND......If you think I'm not the kind of guy to put my money where my mouth is PDGA, PM me.

Ps- DGRUS faithful, if you just want to play and don't give a crap about this stuff, I won't be offended if you just ignore this post.

The real rift in this discussion is that we have four different sides fighting about two different issues.

There are the two sides fighting over whether or not the tv spot was good for the game. We'll never really be able to know the number of people who saw it and will check it out versus the people who will completely wright it off as a doofy game.

There are also the two factions contesting the PDGA's actions in promoting it. I think this has a more definitive answer. The PDGA got really excited and told all of its (obviously already disc golfing) members to get super excited as well. Even if portrayed in a good light, it was not going to be worth much (though it certainly would be worth something). It was worth a small tweet without any exclamation points. It was not a huge fumble or anything for the PDGA, but it is certainly an example of their ineptitude at PR.

I do believe Andrew and DPS have hit the nail on the head. Thanks for getting it guys. It is the choices that the PDGA made that I'm concerened with being the symptom of something else. Unfortunately that brings us back to the "what do we do to advance the sport" question. I don't really want to have that conversation again, but go ahead guys.

I would ad this. If the PDGA wants to talk some of us out in the regions about where we should we go, I'd be willing to put in my share of effort.